HURT
by Leon1
Summary: When Kari is harassed by an evil man, will Takeru sacrifice himself to keep her safe? DARK
1. Aftermath

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

Rating: PG-13

HURT

Mrs. Takeshi walked down the hall of her apartment complex, eager to get some sleep after working the night shift. She reached for her keys to enter the apartment, and oddly, the door was ajar. She entered the apartment, locking the door behind her. A feeling of dread came over her as she saw the door to Takeru's room was wide open.

She stepped in the doorway, shocked to see Hikari sitting up on Takeru's bed, crying on to one of the bedposts. She came closer, and saw Hikari's hands were tied to the bedpost she was leaning against. In shock, all she could stammer out was, "H-Hikari…are you okay? W-Where's Takeru?" Kari's only reply was pointing a quivering finger towards the bathroom. Mrs. Takashi hurried to untie Hikari and opened the bathroom door...and she let out a scream that could be heard from miles away.

Tai awoke from his bed upon hearing the phone ring. He it picked up, shocked to find out it was a call from the hospital, telling them to come and see Hikari right away. He woke up his parents and they all left in a panic. Why was their daughter in the hospital? Why wasn't she in her bed like she was supposed to be? While he and his parents were silent on the way down, Tai's worries were eating away at him, 'I knew something was wrong, she had recently refusing to see Takeru, and they seemed so in love before…'

Tai ran past his parents to the private room where Hikari and Mrs. Takeshi were sitting. The nurse pulled him and his parents aside and warned them, "Your daughter is in a fragile state right now, and while she's alright physically, it seems she's gone through a lot of trauma." 

Before they could talk to Hikari, two police officers came in and approached them. "Excuse me, I'm from the Odiba PD," said one of the officers, "I need to question you daughter, and my partner here will be writing down her statement." 

"Question her?" said her puzzled father, "What the hell is going on here? We don't even know why she's here!" 

"Well, sir, your daughter has witnessed a crime, and we need her statement while the incident is still fresh in her mind," The officer said calmly, then he turned to Hikari, "We need to ask you about what happened to you and your friend, we want to help you. Your parents can sit here too. Is that okay?" 

Hikari shook her head and turned away.

"It's okay Kari, just tell them what happened," Her mother said as she held her hand and pointed her face back in the direction of the officers. Her father and brother sat across from her, concerned and eager to hear what was going on. She then nodded her head, agreeing to speak with them.

Before Hikari began her story, Mrs. Takeshi walked off, with excuse that she needed to check if her ex-husband had come. But she was really fleeing from the blame Hikari's parents and her Ex-husband would put on her…

As her parents and brother watched her, their anxious expressions made Hikari's body shake. Turning her gaze away from them and she began to tell her story, "I-It all started a couple of weeks ago when I was over at Takeru's house, we were watching TV and his mom came home with some guy, and then they went to her room. I wanted to leave because I felt uncomfortable, but I stayed because I didn't want to hurt Takeru's feelings. Then we the guy came out of her room, I felt really weird, like he was staring at me, so I left. When I was leaving, he gave me this weird look. Then when I was going out the main door of the complex, I felt like someone was following me. Then I was grabbed by that guy and he pressed me against the wall…"

Hikari began to cry, and while her mother wanted to scream "How the hell did that happen" she encouraged Hikari to keep going, "He was really squishing me into the wall…I was so close, I could feel him, his...things. Then he said he was going to get me, he said he was going to follow me wherever I went, wait till I got to someplace less crowded. He said he'd kill anyone I told, and then…he patted my bottom and sent me out the door. That's when I ran home…and I didn't come out."

Hikari's parents looked at each other. They knew she had been avoiding school lately, saying she was sick. Mrs. Yagami's guilt was finally too much, and she began to cry in her husband's arms, unable to control the anger and shock. "What happened next?" asked the officer.

"I just avoided going out of the house, and I avoided Takeru. Then last night I kept seeing shadows at my window and I kept imagining the guy coming to kill me. I was scared, so I called Takeru, but when he picked it up I lost my nerve and hung up. I thought about him coming in the house, how he'd wake my family up. Then I started getting scared that he'd kill my Mom and Dad and Tai. I wanted to get away from them. I came out to the living room, and heard a knock at the door, I thought it was that guy, but it was Takeru's voice calling to me on the other side of the door. He had seen it had been me calling on the caller ID, so he had come over to see me. But I wouldn't talk to him. I just kept saying how I wanted to get away from the house…so he took me over to his house. Then I told him everything…" Hikari stopped and began to bawl, holding onto Tai, who was stiff in horror at what his sister had been saying, cursing himself for not being there to help.

"Please, we need you to tell us this, this information will help your friend. You want to help him, right?" the officer coaxed Hikari like she was a wounded animal. At first she didn't want to continue, but she thought of poor Takeru, and agreed to keep going.

"I never should have told him!" Kari sobbed, "Because a couple of hours after I told him, Takeru started to make me feel better, but then HE came, that man. He had a key. He told Takeru some lie about how he left something there. Takeru yelled at him for threatening me, and the guy hit him. I cried and shouted for him to stop but he hit him a couple more times, and pulled us into Takeru's bedroom…then he tied my hand to one of the bed posts while he held down Takeru, who was struggling with him. He laughed and said it was easy to keep track of me, because he did stuff like that to other girls before. Then he licked my ear and said he was going to break my spirit first, then break my body later. So he made me watch…I didn't want to watch, but he showed me a pocketknife and said he'd slit Takeru's throat if I didn't watch what he was doing. I screamed for him to stop, but he kept hurting Takeru, hitting him and…hurting him…down there. He kept asking if it turned me on. I kept screaming for him to stop…."

Everyone in the room was frozen, horror and shock and anger continuing to boil in them with every word. "He didn't…" Kari collapsed out of her chair and onto the floor.

To be continued…


	2. Takeru remembers

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon

Rating: PG-13

HURT part 2

Takeru's soft blue eyes stared blankly from his hospital bed. He had to lie on his side, he couldn't bear the pain of putting pressure on his bottom. He was freezing, the room and its cold white tile weren't heated, and only a dull, thin beam of sun light shone in the room. 

He had a hard time seeing, he figured it must be because his right eye was swollen. He had on only a hospital gown and was covered by a thin blue blanket. Occasionally, the nurse would come in to check his vitals, and Takeru saw sympathy in her eyes, sad to see such a young boy being the victim of such a heinous crime. Takeru saw she was speaking to him, but he couldn't make out the words, and when he tried to say something back, all that would escape is lips were the words, "Kari…Kari…"

Kari bent down in front of one of the toilets in the women's room, while her mother waited outside the stall asking if she needed help. After she had fainted, a nurse had come in to see if she was okay. After she had her temperature taken, she asked to go to the bathroom. Now all she could do was stare into the toilet blankly. Suddenly, memories what had happened to Takeru flashed before her, and she threw up into the toilet, gagging after it all came out. She began to cry uncontrollably, and her mother came into the stall and held her, comforting her right on the floor of the women's room. 

Takeru laid on the hospital bed with his eyes closed, welcoming the darkness. His mind floated back to the day he first met his assailant. He was sitting on the couch, looking at a framed picture of Hikari, the woman he loved. He was waiting for her to come over, they were going to watch a video together, probably a PG-13 chick flick he probably wouldn't like. He didn't really care how bad it was, as long as it gave him a reason to be near her. She would probably comment how her parents would complain about the rating, them only being twelve. His thoughts were interrupted by his mother calling for him. That's when he first saw his violator. 

Takeru shifted in the bed, restless at the thought of the man who had hurt him. But his mind kept replaying their meeting. His mother was beaming when Takeru came to see why she was calling. "Takeru, I'd like you to meet Mr. Smith," his mother said, as Takeru politely shook hands with the large well-dressed man. "We met a couple of weeks ago, and had some drinks," his mother continued, "We're going out again tonight." 

"It's great to meet your son," Said Mr. Smith in his deep, chilling voice, "Do you have any more kids? A daughter maybe?"

"No, I just have another son, who lives with my Ex." His mother replied. Mr. Smith looked down at the picture of Hikari, and before he could ask Takeru's mother explained, "That's Takeru's girlfriend, Hikari." Mr. Smith smiled wickedly and licked his lips. Takeru was shocked at this and convinced himself he imagined it, but he now knew better.

'If only I hadn't pushed it out of my mind, maybe I could have stopped her from coming…'

Hikari had come over a little while after his mom went out. He remembered how great she looked, how she placed her hand in his during the movie. How soft, delicate and perfect she was, like something not of this world. How he wanted to take her into his arms and hold her forever. 

His perfect moment had been shattered, however, when his mom and Mr. Smith returned, his mom giggling like a drunken fool, and indiscreetly took Mr. Smith to her room. The thought sent a shiver down his body. Hikari tried to not let it get in the way of date that day. But it was apparently too much when he came out of the room, his expensive suit looking like it had been hastily put back on, because she left in a hurry. Of course, Mr. Smith left a few minutes after, Takeru not knowing his true motives.

'If I only had walked her out…'

She didn't come to school after that day, and wouldn't return Takeru's calls. Takeru had fought with his mother for bringing Mr. Smith in that day and getting Hikari mad at him. Then last night he had gotten a call, but no one was on the other end. Using the caller ID, he saw it was from Hikari's house, and ran over. 

When he had gotten there, she wouldn't talk to him, she was panicked and said she wanted to get away from her house. Takeru figured to take her over to his house, not knowing what else to do.

"Please," He begged her, "Don't hide your feelings from me Kari, just tell me what's wrong."

Then she confessed to him what had happened after she left, about how she had been scared for all those weeks. Takeru felt like an idiot for not knowing what had been going on. He comforted her and managed to get her to go to sleep. Takeru figured he must have dozed off at some point too, until they had both been awakened by the sound of the door opening.

Takeru filled with rage when Mr. Smith came through the door. When Sith gave some flimsy excuse about leaving his hat, Takeru yelled at the bastard for harassing Kari. Right in the middle of his rant, Mr. Smith decked him. Takeru figured he must have hit his head against something at that point, because when he was on the ground, he felt blood dripping down from a gash on his forehead. Mr. Smith hit him a few more times, then had dragged him and Hikari into his room. Takeru panicked when he saw Smith tying Hikari to one of the bedposts on his bed and taunting her, so Takeru decided to start fighting his grip, hoping to divert his attention away from Hikari. Takeru wasn't sure what Smith said to Hikari next, but soon got the point when he put the knife to his throat. He wasn't prepared for what happened next.

'Rape. You think it's something that you only hear about on the news. You think you fine leading your meaningless life at school day after day, but then it's happening to you. You're to scared to move, too afraid if you scream, he'll turn onto her…'

Takeru couldn't remember much of what happened, just unimaginable pain, blood, tears and Hikari screaming and begging with Smith to stop. After it was over, all Takeru could remember was being dragged into the bathroom and watching Hikari cry as Smith left. Then Takeru had lost consciousness…

"Takeru?" a familiar voice called from outside the darkness. Takeru opened his eyes to see Hikari standing near the door, looking worn, but still beautiful to him. "T-they said you had been calling for me. Your Dad and Yamato are here, I can send the If you want…" she offered as she trembled.

"No…" Takeru said weakly, "Please stay."

Takeru's mother cursed at herself for hiding in her car instead of staying with her son, or even hearing what happened to him. She had been too afraid of what the others would say to her about this happening while she was gone. 'Maybe I should talk to someone first, then I'll have the courage to face everyone." She thought. So she dial Mr. Smith's number on her cell phone…

To be continued…


	3. Hikari and Takeru talk

Disclaimer: Don't own digimon

Rating: PG-13

Note: Worked harder on editing this time. I'm gonna start work on a one part Arukenimon Fic, so the final part of this fic may be up sooner or later based on response. 

HURT part 3

His eyes. She couldn't stand to look into his eyes. They were so sad, so tired looking, and so desperate. Hikari turned her gaze to his hand, which was holding hers. Takeru silently watched her from where she sat next to his bed. He was wondering if he should say something, or wait for her to say something, or burst into tears like he wanted to. Finally, he softly asked her, "Are you mad at me?"

"No, don't think that! I just…I'm not sure what to say…" Hikari said as she turned toward him, somewhat shocked at his question, "Don't think that I hate you. I'm just so sorry for what happened, it was all my-"

"It was not your fault. The only one at fault is…HIM. Don't believe anything different, okay?" Takeru said firmly. Hikari nodded, shocked at his sudden display of strength.

"Takeru?" 

"Yes?"

"Why did this happen to us? I thought we were special, I thought we were digidestined, different. Remember what Gennai told us once, he said we were special, he said our digivices would always remind us of that, and of our responsibility to what was right, and how we stood for what was right! How could this happen? How the hell is this right! I want it to go away! I want it all to be normal again, like it never happened!" Hikari screamed the words before starting to cry again, tears continuing to flow from her tired eyes.

"I don't know Kari, why the hell does this happen to anyone? We had many adventures saving a fantasy world, and we forgot the reality of this one, and the heinousness of its monsters. And I want it to go away too, to have it stop replaying in my mind. For the pain in my body and soul to go away, to just continue my life with you the way it was before. I want to make it so I'll never have to see you cry again." Takeru said, bending over as much as he could to hold her. 

He felt her shivering, so he had her come lie down next to him.

"Takeru?" he later heard a familiar voice calling him.

"Yamato?" Takeru said, groggy from having fallen asleep. He saw Hikari was still next to him, with her lying with her arms around him, having cried herself to sleep just like he did.

"Takeru, the police want to talk to you now. The District Attorney is here too. Dad is trying to find Mom, but it looks like she left." Yamato explained, with tenderness in his voice that he had not used with Takeru since they were little. "I'm gonna send Hikari back to her folks now, okay. I'll try and get the cops to give you a few minutes to wake up before they come in."

After Yamato and Hikari left his room, Takeru heard the phone in his room ring. He picked it up and heard the husky voice of his rapist on the other end, "Alone now Takeru? I'm here for you. I was just with that little twit of a mother you have. She was so worried about you, rambling about how bad she felt about the fun I had with you. Don't worry, I didn't hurt her, she isn't as good in the sack as you are anyway. I can't wait to get my hands on little 'Kari', as you like to call her…" Takeru's clenched his free hand in to a fist as he heard the words, "When I'm done with her it'll make what I did to you look like tickling." At these final words, Takeru flung the phone across the room.

When Hikari walked back into the waiting room, she saw her parents siting by the door, ready and eager to take her home, and she also saw a police officer who had a sketch pad with him, probably wanting to sketch a description of the man who hurt Takeru. Unfortunately, Hikari wasn't prepared when she was grabbed from behind. Even without seeing who it was, she knew it was HIM. "Miss me?" came the haunting voice, "I'm gonna get you alone soon my dear, and I'm going to brake you." He threw her loose as the police got a hold of him, and she ran to her father. "It's not over!" she heard her attacker shout as the police tried to cuff him and read him his rights, "I'll be out on bail soon, then you'll be mine!" 

The next day, Nancy Takeshi sat at the bar of the hotel she was staying in. She had been staying there while her apartment was still a crime scene. She had read about the arrest of Hans Smith, the man she had known as Harold Smith. The news article said his MO was to use false names and woo divorced women, then later rape their daughters. She remembered when he introduced himself and offered to buy her a drink, and she mentioned she her old drinking problem when she refused. Of course he charmed her into getting drunk, ruining her five years of sobriety. He had told her such lies of being an amazing man, and gained her trust. But now, a short time later, he had raped her son and threatening his girlfriend. She wished she would just drop dead, and maybe after each beer she would have, she would just drop dead. She lifted her beer bottle to her lips, when a firm hand pulled it away from her.

"It's you." She said coldly, upon seeing her ex-husband taking a seat on the empty stool next to her. "Come to tell me what a bitch I am and how it's all my fault? Well, save your breath, I already know."

"I didn't come here to do any finger-pointing, it's useless because we can all be found at fault." He replied solemnly, "We all did a bad job as parents, our children didn't trust us enough to tell us what was going on. Maybe we should have watched them more closely, maybe we all should have been there for them. But maybes and blame are useless now."

"Then why the hell are you here?"

"Takeru needs to see you. He doesn't blame you for what happened, you have to talk with him. And I'm worried about your drinking, you've stayed sober for so long, don't let your past problems resurface when Takeru needs you."

"Nice acting job, almost made me think you cared." Nancy said with a sarcastic chuckle, "Why would you? I gave that bastard the key when he said he wanted to go get something he left at the apartment. I'm the one who believed his lies. You shouldn't give flying-"

"I do care damn it!" Mr. Ishida shouted, not caring who heard him, "You're the mother of my children and I won't let you drink yourself to death. That bastard tricked you like he did so many other women, and he'll be the one who wins if you do this to yourself. I'm taking you to go see Takeru right now." And with that he tugged his drunken Ex out of the bar.

At the Yagami house, there was an air of silence within in the usually bright and busy home. Mrs. Yagami sat on the couch with her husband, in his arms while he desperately watched the news on TV. "I'm still having a hard time believing this happened. Hikari had so much in store for her remember? She was so excited about going to High School, and she had so many plans. Now…they're gone. Ever since we got home, she won't come out of her room. She's just been sleeping in their for hours, the angelic glow she has seems to be faded, like her soul is tired…How could this happen?" 

"I don't know dear," Mr. Yagami replied while not taking his eyes off the screen, " Life is so unfair. And even if we want to make everything to be normal, end Hikari's pain and kill that bastard…the only thing we can really do is be there to help her adjust. I explained that to Taichi…he caught him trying to get at the chest where I keep the gun. He wanted to take it and kill that sick bastard since the news got out that he made bail, but I explained to him the pain it would cause Hikari to have her brother locked away on top of all this." 

"But…" Mrs. Yagami began, " Will Hikari ever get her glow back? Will she ever be the same again? Will the emptiness in all our hearts go away?" 

This time, Mr. Yagami didn't have an answer.

At the Ishida house, Yamato was furiously attacking the punching bag in the garage. He struck it without mercy, releasing all his anger. Then his rage was interrupted when he heard the voice of a friend, "Yamato?"

"What is it?" the enraged boy replied.

"I came by to see how you were doing." Taichi explained.

"What does it look like Tai? I'm angry as hell, and I'm going to kill that bastard." Yamato snapped.

"You too huh? It's crossed my mind too. I want to free Hikari and Takeru of their fear, even if it means the loss of my freedom. I tried taking my father's gun, but he wouldn't let me." Taichi confessed.

"I came by your place earlier, maybe I would have had better luck at getting it. Maybe I did get it." Yamato replied coyly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" 

"Maybe I'm just saying that to discourage you, maybe I really do have it. I'm not telling." 

Back at the Yagami house, Mrs. Yagami had fallen asleep on the couch. She slept soundly until she awoke upon hearing her frantic husband. "Huh? What is it dear?" she asked him.

"The gun…it's gone from the old wooden chest. I didn't check on it until now. And Taichi and Hikari are gone too. Maybe they took it. Or it was that rude blonde boy that came by earlier!" Mr. Yagami said in his panic.

"You don't think that one of them is going to go shoot that monster, do you?"

To be concluded…


	4. Revenge

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon

Rating: PG-13

HURT part four

"Takeru?"

"Kari? Is that you?" Takeru asked as he turned to face in the direction of where he had heard the angelic voice calling. Hikari came in, wearing her best scarlet blouse with a matching mini coat and a tiny purse, and sat at the end of Takeru's hospital bed. "Wow, you look nice." He commented.

"Thanks." She replied, "You look like you're feeling better." 

"Yeah, they said I can go home by tomorrow, since I'm back up to walking a bit again. My mom came by earlier, we got to talk, it went pretty good. She even brought me some sweats to wear."

"That's good to hear…" Hikari said with a nervous look, like she was worried about something, "Um…I don't want to ruin your good mood, but I have to ask…are you still scared?"

"…Yes. I still cower whenever I see shadows pass over my window, thinking he's coming for me. I'm still reminded of what happened every time I start to flail as I walk." Takeru confessed.

"I'm scared too Takeru. So scared, scared of everything." Kari said sadly. Takeru took her hand, hating to see her so sad.

"Everything will be all right, someday we won't have to be scared. We have each other, and even though we're both scared, we can help each other get through this. I'll be your strength like you're mine. That bastard is as good as gone now, there's a mountain of evidence against him. He can't hurt us anymore. I won't let anyone hurt us anymore. It'll be hard, but we can heal together. I love you Kari." Takeru said as he looked into her eyes, hoping the word from his heart would comfort her.

"I love you too, Takeru." Hikari said, bending down to give him a kiss. As she did, something metallic in her purse his caught his eye. 

"Kari…is that a gun?" he asked in shock.

"Yes Takeru, I'm going to end this. I have to kill him." She said in a cold tone of voice that he had never heard her use before.

"What?"

"I have to do what I have to do. It's time to stop being afraid. I want us to have our peace of mind back. I want you to be able to go home again without being scared or being reminded of what happened. I want to be able to go outside alone and not be scared. I want our lives back, and this is the only way. Even if I have to go to prison."

"What? How can you say that! Don't let him turn you into something you're not! I can't live without you, don't throw your life away! Killing him won't make him go away, it'll make things worse, being reminded of what happened every day we're separated by prison bars. Please, don't do it." Takeru pleaded.

"I've made up my mind." Kari said before walking out the door, not looking back once. Takeru slammed his fist against his bed. 

"Guess you were right about him not being mad…damn, you always have to be right, don't you. Not that you give a damn about me or what I say." Nancy said to her Ex-husband from the backseat of his car where she was suffering from a hangover, as he drove her down the freeway to drop her off at her hotel.

"Guess I forgot what a mean drunk you are." Mr. Ishida shot back, "Oh, and I do give a damn, for what it's worth. I wouldn't have been able to stand it if that bastard had hurt you like he did to Takeru."

Neither of them spoke for the rest of the drive after that. 

Mr. Smith sat at his workbench, wondering how he would get his revenge. He was in a run down brownstone, the main room infested with rats and full of garbage, covering the wooden floor like a carpet. The odor of decay and gasoline filled the room, most of it coming from the rags Smith was wearing and the drum of gasoline in the corner. The workbench and tools were the only furniture and accessories he had, but he put them to good use when plotting against potential victims. Smith was no longer dressed in his fine clothes, which had been one of many disguises he wore when going after the women he terrorized. 

While plotting and drinking cheap liquor, he heard a pounding upon his door, and opened it. The butt of a revolver hit him squarely in the face and he fell to the floor. His attacker stepped inside and shut the door behind her. "It's you're turn to hurt, bastard." Hikari growled with a ferocity and anger that had never taken control of her before, "It wasn't hard to find you after searching through the phone book. Looking at this dump, I wonder what the hell does a monster like you think, anyway? Did your Daddy smack you around too much when you were little? Rape you like you did to Takeru?" 

"Hey baby," said the injured rapist from the floor, "Looks like you came to me. I was gonna come over and screw till you bled, and maybe get a taste of your mom." Hikari responded by savagely kicking him several times. "I haven't got a response like that since I was being questioned by the DA and grabbed her butt."

"You bastard! I'm sending you straight to hell!" Hikari shouted as she stuck the gun under Smith's chin.

"I doubt you know how to use that, my little bitch." Smith taunted. She pulled back the hammer, to which Smith only replied to with a panicked gulp.

"Kari, don't!" shouted a familiar voice. Takeru came through the door, wearing black sweats, stained with blood on the seat of the pants from Takeru straining his injuries in running to stop Hikari. "Please, don't ruin your life over this. I want him to die too, but it's you who I can't live without. I don't want you to become a killer and go to jail. Remember your digivice, your responsibility. Gatomon would never want you to become something you're not. You're the one who makes me strong enough to survive. You're the one who I was thinking of after the rape, you're the only reason I didn't kill myself. I wanted to die so bad, the pain was too much, but I fought it for you. I love you, please don't do this. I beg of you."

"I have to Takeru, I…" Kari began, but when she turned and saw the desperation and pleading in Takeru's face, she remembered how she had begged during Takeru's rape. She broke down into tears, and moved into Takeru's arms, putting the gun away.

"Boo-Hoo. I think I'm gonna be sick." Smith said before being knocked unconscious by Hikari's fist. 

"Everything will be okay now, I promise." Takeru said as he lifted Hikari back onto her feet, "Let's go home now." Hikari nodded. As Takeru followed her out the door, he saw something on the workbench, and approached it. Among the instruments and tools of sexual torture on the workbench, there was a smooth silver gun with a tapped handle and serial numbers filed off. There was no doubt in Takeru's mind that it was what Smith had intended to use to kill Hikari when he was finished with his sick games. Takeru slipped the gun into his pocket and followed after Hikari.

Back at the Yagami household, Mr. Yagami was berating Taichi and Yamato, accusing them of taking his gun. Hikari meekly came into the living room, and walked up to her father and handed him his revolver. She was received with sympathy rather than anger like she had feared. Even so, she lied to her parents and told them she had lost her nerve to use the gun, because she and Takeru had agreed to use this story. When she went to the door to check on Takeru, he was gone, as well as Taichi and Yamato.

A few hours later, the DA was on the local news, giving an update on the rape case. The Yagami's turned up the volume and Hikari could hear the report from the kitchen where she was sitting at the table. The DA reported that after he had set a gasoline fire to burn down his brownstone, Smith had shot himself with a silver gun. The DA said that neither she nor the police would be pursuing the case.

"Kari, are you okay?" Takeru asked, surprising Hikari.

"Takeru, where have you been?" she asked, unintentionally coming off angry.

"I just had to take care of something." Takeru explained, "I'm sorry for leaving. But always remember I'll be there for you when you need me. Together we can do anything, from fighting giant digital monsters, to getting over our pain."

"I know that Takeru, it's just hard to know how to start on the road to healing, especially when I feel I lost a part of myself. I feel like we lost our youth, our innocence. All I have is my damned responsibility." Hikari said, looking down at her digivice, which she was holding in her hand. 

"I know it's hard. I'm staying with my Dad and Yamato now, until Mom finds a new apartment. Dad has signed me up with a rape victim clinic. You might want to get some help too. Oh, and I won't be going back to school for awhile, and it'll be a long time before I can play basketball again. Talk with your Mom and Dad about it." Takeru suggested, "I have to go home and take a shower now, I came to check and see how you were. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too Takeru…hey, you're not wearing your digivice, like you were before. You know, our 'responsibility'" Kari bitterly said as she looked down at her digivice, cursing Gennai's speech in her head.

"I guess I misplaced it somewhere. Don't worry about it. See you tomorrow, my love." Takeru said as he left, reminding Hikari of how he used to say that whenever they parted on their dates, before the rape. 

"Guess you misplaced it, Takeru, your digivice, your responsibility. But you'll have it on tomorrow I bet. You just misplaced it for a second like I did." Hikari said to herself, smiling as she remembered the odor of gasoline she had smelled on the boy. 


End file.
